We had a mountain lion killed in town this morning it was 6 ft long, probably not a mature cat but not a spring kitten either. funny the dnr never mentioned super predators in the possibilities for the deer numbers declining in the state.

oh wait thats because first they said there not here, then they said the population is minimal. then after the concealed carry laws were made fair for all counties, they said do`nt even consider carrying that when bowhunting we can override any law we wish, guess i`m going to overrule them again this year. go ahead flame me for that comment if you want i know the odds are astronomical of ever running into one that wants to fight or eat me, but they make me wear a seatbelt and i`ve never had an accident.

That stinks. Ive heard big cats have probably been around the midwest way longer than we think. Probably right, no doubt they have food to sustain themselves pretty well in Iowa. I just have a problem with the fact that the DNR here seems to have a your all criminals we just have`nt caught you yet approach. It`s hard to understand their logic otherwise on the no carry when bowhunting rule. but yet i can shoot any furbearing animal with my trusty revolver if I pay for the license. I`d rather not run my broadheads through squirrels raccoons or coyotes. if my bow came with a clip,, well......I may not have a gripe

Most DNR's are reluctant to admit there is a wild population. In truth, most of the large cats seen or killed are in fact from a captive or "domestic" background. That said, I have no doubt there are some wild ones in most states. IA and MO both have confirmed cases. The cats follow the river systems.

I have no doubt we have a breeding population here in TN. I can't think of any reason we would not. However, I'm still waiting for one to show up on someones trail cam or to get killed. Until that happens, the DNR can't say they are here.

Now a word of warning. If you kill one, you might be in violation of the law. Better check that out. The only way I would shoot one would be in certain defense of my life. On many occasions, I have hunted areas they were known to exist, have seen their tracks and scat. Have seen exactly two in my life-one in Alberta and one in WY. Both were traveling at a high rate of speed the other way. The land I guided on in NE was covered up with their tracks along the river. Never saw one, never heard one, never saw a kill. The impact they would have on a deer herd would be minimal unless there population was of a sufficient number to really make a dent. I can't see that happening.

Now wolves, WW???? There I gots my doubts. Coy dogs yes. They get big, look a lot like wolves. Where in IL do you have wolves?

I would swear with 99% certainty that I saw a Red Wolf a few seasons back. I hunt Iroquois County a few miles off the state line. I was at full draw on what I thought was a coyote coming through, and didn't shoot because I decided it was somebody's dog based on the size and coloration. It stopped literally 10 yards in front of my stand for about 15/20 seconds. I still didn't shoot because I was amazed at what I was seeing. I wish I could've gotten a picture of it.

I was at a science teacher's convention later that year and stopped by the DNR booth. I waited until nobody else was near to ask the officer working the booth if there are any confirmed sighting of Red Wolves in IL. I told her I was pretty sure I'd seen one while hunting. She got kind of cagey, and began asking me questions about where I hunt. I described the area, and then the characteristics of the animal and the way it moved, (long bushy tail straight out when it ran, legs that seemed longer than usual, very red coloration to the fur). All she would say is that "there are no official populations of wolves in IL".... I replied, so I can go ahead and shoot it assuming it's a coyote? She then gave me the runaround about how I should be very sure about what I shoot in case it's somebody's dog or a protected species.... weird

**and in reference to the original post, I grew up just north of I80 near Ottawa... I have definitely seen large cat tracks in the mud along Indian Creek on 2 different occasions. I've never seen a cougar personally, but have heard of people who did get pics on their trail cams.

"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values and with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." ~Fred Bear

Bowriter: Northern and NW Illinois on the wolves. A guy shot one about 3 years ago while calling coyotes near Big Rock. I'll see if I can dig up the pic. The guy who owns the farm where I bowhunt in Ogle County confirms the wolves in his area.